I’ve just learned of yet another burglary in the Rancho SC business park...

This one happened to a business in the SeaView section of RSC Business Park. I have only sent this message to a dozen or so people, mainly clients and fellow business owners. My information is based on comments from clients and friends who were burglarized, a discussion with one of the Sherriff’s CSI staff, and personal conversations with victims and local officials.

The same methods of entry were used, and the same type of equipment was stolen;

Lower-level window(s) were broken to gain entry

Computers and monitors were stolen

Cables were cleanly cut from the back-side of each computer

Like the other local burglaries, there will likely be no evidence or fingerprints

From what I understand, this is the 6th burglary within the RSC Business Park in the past year. This marks nearly a dozen similar burglaries if you include the Talega business park. Some of our fellow business neighbors have been burglarized MORE THAN ONCE. At the current rate, one of our local businesses is getting burglarized every few weeks. The OC Sherriff CSI staffer explained to me how pointless an alarm system is, considering how quickly a two or three man operation can burglarize your building. He explained, “One man is the driver, one man is the loader, and the other is running through your offices and taking equipment”. These guys are breaking in and cleaning out well before the police arrive.

I urge all of you to do the following:

Take inventory of all your computer equipment, including make/model/serial#

Take high-quality photos of all your equipment to simplify an insurance claim.

Don’t let any solicitors inside your building, especially if they claim to represent an alarm company. If they ask if you already have an alarm, ALWAYS SAY YES. If you are expecting a visit from your security company, check their ID or badge. (Some people have commented that an alarm company “rep” visited their offices some time before the burglaries)

BACKUP YOUR DATA, including off-site backups. “A recent University of Texas study reports that 43 percent of companies experiencing a catastrophic data loss never recover and half of them go out of business within two years.” [link]

Install security lockers for expensive PC’s (a security locker is a steel case that mounts to the floor or desk that makes it impossible to steal quickly).

INSTALL A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM. A decent 4-6 camera system will cost anywhere from between $600 to $1500. Fry’s electronics in Fountain Valley and MicroCenter in Anaheim have all sorts of do-it-yourself surveillance systems. It took me 4 hours to install a 4-camera system at our location. Although my company doesn’t install security systems, I’m available to all of you if you have any questions.

Complain to the city council and Sherriff dept. that we are tired of being sitting ducks. Recurring patrol units are nearly pointless, since burglars adjust their schedule around the patrol unit’s rounds.

Do your fellow business owners a favor and forward this to anyone involved in a business within the affected areas. Since we can not prevent burglary, it is our responsibility to make it as difficult as possible. If we weren’t such easy targets, we wouldn’t see such a high recurrence.

Physically lock down your computers. Install a surveillance system. If you have a server, protect it at all costs. Most importantly, BACKUP YOUR DATA.